When it comes to building a successful eCommerce website, the details matter. Everything from the color scheme to the layout to the content directly affects how your company is perceived, which can mean the difference between a potential customer placing an order or moving along. Using Magento A/B testing is a fantastic way to determine the best approach so you can move forward with confidence.
What Is Good A/B Testing?
A/B testing itself is simply the practice of running two (or more) versions of a piece of content, Version A and Version B (and sometimes Versions C, D, etc.). The platform—in this case Magento—randomly shows different versions to different users, and then you use the resulting consumer behavior data, such as conversions, bounce rates, and so on, to determine which version generates the most value. This process lets you gradually quantify which elements of a user experience have what impact.
Good A/B testing, then, means having robust testing tools, using them correctly, and interpreting the results intelligently.
Onboard A/B Testing Tools
Magento 2 comes packed with a host of integrated features that you may not even know exist. One of the big ones for Magento 2 Enterprise Edition is out-of-the-box A/B testing features that make it easy for you to test multiple versions of your website without installing any third-party extensions.
Depending on how your website is coded, not having to depend on third-party extensions can be quite beneficial, as sometimes even trusted extensions may cause problems in some circumstances.
If you’re using Magento 2 Community Edition, you will need to rely on third-party extensions for A/B testing, so make sure you seek out options that are compatible with your site’s coding.
About Magento A/B Testing Tools
Magento’s tools incorporate Google’s Content Experiments, allowing you to test up to ten variables—A, B, C, all the way to J! Being able to integrate Magento 2’s tools with Google Analytics makes it possible to track many different metrics at a highly granular level, so you can make informed decisions on how to proceed. If you’re already familiar with Google Analytics, you should have no problem using Magento A/B testing, but, even if you’re not, it isn’t hard to learn.
Testable Strategies
If you’re considering Magento A/B testing, you may wonder what types of features and strategies can be tested. Here are some of the main ways you can improve your website’s performance:
- Experiment with various images to find which one engages visitors more effectively.
- Try different interfaces and designs to see which one promotes the best user interaction.
- See which font styles and sizes are most effective.
- Use different checkout processes to see which is most efficient.
- Implement different menus and navigational features to see which makes browsing the site most intuitive.
- Feature different copy such as product descriptions and calls to action to see which content converts best.
- Highlight different promotions and sales to see which are most appealing to customers.
- Incorporate mobile optimization features to drive traffic from smartphone shoppers.
Why Testing Matters
If you’re still on the fence about using A/B testing tools on the Magento 2 platform, it’s important that you understand just how much of a difference this simple step can make in your long-term success (or lack thereof).
1. Maintain Upward Momentum
For starters, Magento A/B testing is an ongoing process – you don’t just have to do it once. If you keep testing your website and then updating it according to hard facts, you’re going to see it evolve on an upward trajectory. Changing your website can do more harm than good in some cases, and A/B testing tools dramatically reduce the risk involved.
2. Connect with Your Target Audience
Once you have a better understanding of what your customers are looking for, you can hone in on your target demographic and form deeper connections with your audience. For example, say you test two different logos, and one is preferred. Now you can incorporate that logo into everything from promotional gifts to marketing materials.
3. Prevent Stagnation
Magento A/B testing helps you to foster an environment of constant improvement. It’s easy for companies to become stagnant if they’re not consistently pushing forward. If you’re always looking for new ways to improve your customers’ experiences, people are going to take notice. Not only will your current and potential customer base appreciate the effort, but your employees can also feel proud to work for a company that has true momentum and drive.
4. Improve SEO Strategies
Finally, Magento A/B testing helps you to discover which SEO strategies are working best for you. If your A/B testing tools reveal that one version of a website is getting significantly more organic traffic, you can scale up using those same techniques. SEO often requires experimentation to find the best approach, and A/B testing helps you to discover what works and what doesn’t.
Hire Magento 2 Experts
Coalition Technologies is proud to be a top Magento Enterprise and Community Edition design, development, and marketing partner. We consistently help our clients to maximize their return on investment by implementing creative, comprehensive solutions that work. Whether you need help selecting the right A/B testing tools or building the perfect Magento site from scratch, our team can help.
If you need assistance with Magento A/B testing or anything related to the platform at all, we at Coalition Technologies are more than happy to discuss these services with you. Entrusting A/B testing to an experienced SEO firm means you don’t have to blindly guess your way through the process: We’ve got it covered for you.
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